Mumbai, June 4: The Bombay High Court has granted pre-arrest bail to a Tamil Nadu-based scrap trader accused of cheating a Pune sugar factory of nearly Rs 3 crore by allegedly tampering with weighing machines used to measure scrap material.
Justice Farhan Dubash, on Wednesday, granted pre-arrest protection to Surya Prakash, proprietor of Winmin Metals, while hearing his anticipatory bail plea in connection with an FIR registered at Daund Police Station.
FIR alleges weighing machine tampering
According to the prosecution, Daund Sugar Pvt. Ltd. had awarded scrap disposal contracts to Winmin Metals. The company allegedly lifted scrap material from the factory between April and December 2025. Later, the factory suspected that the weighing scales had been manipulated, causing substantial financial losses.
The FIR alleges that electronic chips were secretly installed in weighing machines and operated through a remote device. This allegedly resulted in lower weights being displayed, enabling the accused to pay less than the actual value of the scrap material lifted from the factory.
Prosecution opposes bail plea
The complainant claimed that the alleged fraud came to light after receiving information from another sugar mill in Satara, where a similar case had been registered against the applicant.
Opposing the bail plea, the prosecution argued that three separate complaints involving a similar modus operandi had been filed against the applicant in Satara, Osmanabad and Pune districts. The State contended that custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the alleged conspiracy and recover evidence.
Court grants relief
However, the defence argued that the allegations were based largely on information received from a third party and that no direct proof had been produced. It also pointed out that the applicant had already received interim protection in two similar cases and had cooperated with investigators.
While granting relief, the HC observed that the transactions were commercial in nature and that Winmin Metals had paid over Rs 1.22 crore to the factory under the contract. The court noted that no specific material had been placed on record to show why custodial interrogation was indispensable.
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“Custodial interrogation of the Applicant is not warranted at this stage,” Justice Dubash said.
The court directed the applicant to cooperate with the investigation, appear before police as required, and refrain from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.
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